The Way Things Were
by blueblackangel
Summary: Onshot: If he could have one wish...he would go back to the way things were.


I do not own Sweeney Todd.

I typed this while listening to the Ice Dance from Edward Scissorshands. It might be a nice song to listen to while you read this fanfic. (It also goes with My Immortal by Evanescence.)

Summary: If he could have one wish…he would go back to the way things were.

The Way Things Were

_Lucy_

He cannot even trust himself to speak the name. It also burns in his throat. The very mention of her makes him weak, makes him hope, makes him sad, and makes him happy.

_Lucy_

She was, no, that isn't correct. She is his life. If there were only a way to bring her back, if there were any way to go back to the way things were, he would. He would do anything.

He gets up out of chair and stretches his weary limbs. He had been sitting in that chair all day, brooding. Strange, though, he cannot remember Mrs. Lovett coming up to bring him dinner and it's quite dark outside. With much concentration, he recalls that Mrs. Lovett took Toby to the market to buy flour and other materials for the pies. Usually, such excursions last all day. He looks out the window to see if she is close by.

When he looks out the window he immediately wishes he hadn't. He sees a small family, very much like his own, walk down the street. The husband and wife gaze at the nearby florist shop while a little girl, who had barely begun to walk, scampers about their heels. He watches with envy as the girl picks out a flower to show her parents. Both parents look down and smile warmly at the girl. The father picks her up and lightly throws her in the air, earning a small giggle from the girl.

_That should have been me, all those years ago_

Where was he when his little girl learned how to walk? Where was he when his little girl wanted to show him something beautiful and special? Where was he all those years ago? Why couldn't he had been there? Why him? Why his family? Why…?

_Lucy_

He has been thinking he had done nothing wrong to deserve this. Of course, he's killed a few innocent and perhaps a few not so innocent people, but this is now. Then, he had done nothing wrong. He had owned a barbershop, had reasonable prices and extraordinary service. He loved his wife and daughter. So why? Why did fate have to intervene? Why is it his fate?

_Lucy_

The way things were. Yes, that would be best. No more killing people, no more brooding about judges and revenge. Just he and his family.

_It may still be like that…_

Of course, Johanna. Johanna is still here, isn't she? He could easily persuade Anthony to leave her here for a while. Anthony, unfortunate for him, is a persuadable lad. He and Johanna could be like family. It would be the closest thing to the past. It's the closest to going back to the way things were.

He feels something moist on his cheek and realizes that tears are freely flowing down his face. He doesn't move them. He lets them be. He gets up and holds the picture on his desk. The tears come rapidly now and he cannot stop.

He hears footsteps at the bottom of the stairs and hears their voices. He prays that neither come up. He wants to be alone; he needs to be alone. He touches the photograph.

He wants more time with _her_. He wants more time with his family. Why couldn't they be gone longer? He doesn't want Mrs. Lovett's kind embrace or Toby's reluctant services. He wants things to back to the way things were. He wants his family, his daughter, his wife.

He takes a shaky breath, trying vainly to will the tears away. Why can't they all see it? Why does Mrs. Lovett insist on moving forward when he can't even stay in the present?

"Lucy," he whispers, "I love you."

Sadly, he realizes try as he may, it will never go back to the way things were.

"Lucy."

* * *

_Author's comments!_

_I don't have many comments. I'm concerned about flow, because it tends to jump from one thought to another. There's actually a term for that: stream of consciousness. I wasn't originally going for that, but actually to be honest, I just wanted to write a fanfic to the Ice Dance from Edward Scissorshands. I had no idea what was to become of this. I just wrote and BAM! Yep, it was quite literally BAM! _

_So, with that being said, I ask you readers for one simple favor. Review. Please, it's good for you, because if you tell me what to fix I can make it better for the next fanfic. So, review and criticize away! I imagine there's mistakes because I typed this and edited late at night for me. _


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